DECATHLON'S OWN PADEL BRAND
Kuikma padel rackets,
Decathlon's range, model by model
Kuikma is Decathlon's padel brand, so for many UK players it is the first racket they ever pick up off a shelf. The range is built like Decathlon builds everything: one frame in three shapes, clear names, and prices well below the Spanish specialists. The carbon models are better rackets than the price suggests.
- 29 models
- 15 from 2023 on
- €65 to €100
THE RANGE
The Kuikma lines,
and what each is for
Kuikma has 29 models in the catalogue. Almost all of them belong to one of these families, so knowing the families is most of the work.
| Line | What it is for |
|---|---|
| PR990 | The carbon line most players know. The same 12K carbon face in three shapes, Precision (round), Hybrid (teardrop) and Power (diamond), each with a Hard or a Soft core. |
| PR Carbon | The 2024 successor to the PR990: Control, Hybrid and Power Carbon, with a 12K carbon layer over fibreglass and a medium black EVA core. |
| LS Pro and MS Pro | The top of the range. Textreme carbon faces and a dual foam core; the LS Pro is a teardrop, the MS Pro a diamond. |
| PR React | Fibreglass frames with a layer of flax fibre in the face and a soft EVA core, aimed at comfort. |
| PR500 to PR590 and Comfort | The entry range. Fibreglass faces, soft cores, mostly teardrop and round, and among the cheapest rackets in the catalogue. |
| PR190 | The lightest Kuikma we track, at 320 g, in a fibreglass teardrop. |
WHAT MAKES KUIKMA DIFFERENT
One frame, three shapes,
at a Decathlon price
Kuikma is the padel brand of Decathlon, the French sports retailer, and it follows the Decathlon method: design the range in house, sell it in its own shops, and keep the price down. None of the 29 Kuikma rackets we track carries a player's name. The range is built around one idea used again and again: the same frame as a round Precision or Control model, a teardrop Hybrid and a diamond Power, so you choose a shape and a core hardness and the rest follows.
The catalogue leans teardrop, with 48% teardrop, 31% round and 21% diamond frames, and Soft EVA is the most common core. The PR990 and PR Carbon frames use 12K carbon faces, the LS Pro and MS Pro at the top use Textreme carbon with a dual foam core, and the entry models use fibreglass, with a layer of flax fibre on the PR React. Only the 2022 models carry a listed euro RRP in the catalogue, from €65 to €100, which puts the carbon PR990 at the bottom of what the Spanish brands charge for carbon. Decathlon sets its own UK prices in pounds, and they change often.
The data stops at 2024: the newest Kuikma frames we track are the PR Carbon models, and 15 of the 29 are from 2023 on. For a club player who wants a first carbon racket without paying for a pro's name, the PR990 Precision Soft or the PR Control Carbon is the Kuikma to look at. Pick the Soft core version of any model if your elbow has ever complained.
CURRENT MODELS
Kuikma rackets
compared on specs
The most recent Kuikma models, newest first: shape, weight, balance, core, face material, price band and the level each one is built for. The name under a model is the professional who plays with it.
| Model | Shape | Weight | Balance | Core | Surface | Price band | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuikma PR Control Carbon 2024 | Round | - | Medium | Black EVA Medium | 12K carbon | - | Intermediate to advanced |
| Kuikma PR Hybrid Carbon 2024 | Teardrop | - | Medium | Black EVA Medium | 12K carbon | - | Intermediate to advanced |
| Kuikma PR Power Carbon 2024 | Diamond | - | High | Black EVA Medium | 12K carbon | - | Advanced |
| Kuikma PR React 2024 | Teardrop | - | Medium | EVA Soft | Fibreglass | - | Intermediate |
| Kuikma PR React Soft 2024 | Teardrop | - | Medium | EVA Soft | Fibreglass | - | Intermediate |
| Kuikma Comfort 2024 | Round | - | Low to medium | Black EVA (medium-soft) | Fibreglass | - | Beginner to intermediate |
| Kuikma LS Pro 2023 | Teardrop | 365 g | - | Dual Foam (medium-hard) | Carbon | - | Intermediate to advanced |
| Kuikma MS Pro 2023 | Diamond | 375 g | - | Dual Foam (medium-hard) | Carbon | - | Advanced |
| Kuikma PR990 Precision Hard 2023 | Round | 360 to 380 g | - | Black EVA (medium-hard) | 12K carbon | - | Intermediate to advanced |
| Kuikma PR990 Power Hard 2023 | Diamond | 360 to 380 g | - | Black EVA (medium-hard) | 12K carbon | - | Advanced |
| Kuikma PR990 Precision Soft 2023 | Round | 360 to 380 g | - | Soft EVA | 12K carbon | - | Intermediate |
| Kuikma PR990 Power Soft 2023 | Diamond | 360 to 380 g | - | Soft EVA | 12K carbon | - | Intermediate to advanced |
Weight is the manufacturer's stated range. Balance is where the mass sits: low means towards the handle, high means towards the head. Price band is the recommended retail price in euros (entry under 120, mid 120 to 200, premium 200 to 300, pro over 300); UK street prices are usually lower. Level is our reading of the shape, balance and core, not a rule.
BY SHAPE
Which shape
do you need?
Round: Kuikma PR Control Carbon 2024
Kuikma has 9 round models. This shape suits the right side, players who build points, anyone still developing their timing, and anyone protecting an arm. Our current pick from the range is the Kuikma PR Control Carbon 2024.
Teardrop: Kuikma PR Hybrid Carbon 2024
Kuikma has 14 teardrop models. This shape suits the largest number of club players, because it gives some power without shrinking the sweet spot. Our current pick from the range is the Kuikma PR Hybrid Carbon 2024.
Diamond: Kuikma PR Power Carbon 2024
Kuikma has 6 diamond models. This shape suits advanced attacking players who finish points with the smash and hit the middle of the strings consistently. Our current pick from the range is the Kuikma PR Power Carbon 2024.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Buying a Kuikma
without buying the wrong one
Brand is the last thing that should decide a padel racket, and the first thing most people decide. Once you are inside a range, three specs settle the question.
Shape decides forgiveness
Round puts the sweet spot in the middle of the face where you actually hit the ball. Diamond moves it up towards the tip, which buys power and costs you every off-centre shot. Teardrop sits between the two and is the right answer for most club players. Kuikma covers round, teardrop, diamond, so you do not need to leave the brand to change shape.
Core decides comfort
Soft cores hold the ball longer, forgive a slow swing and transmit less shock to the elbow. Hard EVA cores are more powerful and more precise but punish poor timing. If you have ever had tennis elbow, this single spec matters more than shape, weight and brand combined.
Your side matters more than your level
The left side finishes points and usually wants a higher balance. The right side builds points and covers the middle, so it usually wants a larger sweet spot. Two players of the same level on opposite sides should not buy the same racket.
Then let the data narrow it
The table above is the fastest filter: read down the shape, balance and core columns before you look at a single price, and the level column tells you who each frame was built for. Our racket finder does this across all 1,418 rackets in seven questions, and if you have run a match analysis it uses your real technique scores instead of your own estimate of your level. If you are still choosing between brands, start with our guide to the best padel rackets or, for a first racket, the beginner picks.
FAQ
Questions about
Kuikma rackets
Is Kuikma a Decathlon brand?
Yes. Kuikma is Decathlon's own padel brand, and the rackets are sold through Decathlon stores and its website rather than through padel specialists. Decathlon designs and sells the rackets itself, which keeps the price down, and none of the Kuikma models in our catalogue is a professional's signature frame.
Are Kuikma padel rackets any good?
The carbon models are. The PR990 and PR Carbon frames score between 7.7 and 8.3 in the catalogue ratings, in the same range as mid-price rackets from the big Spanish brands, and the 2022 PR990s were listed at €99.99. The fibreglass entry models score lower, as entry rackets from every brand do, but they are sound first rackets.
What is the difference between the Kuikma PR990 Power, Hybrid and Precision?
Only the shape. Power is a diamond with the sweet spot high on the face, for players who attack. Precision is round with the sweet spot in the centre, for control. Hybrid is the teardrop between them. Each comes with a Hard or a Soft core, and the Soft versions are the ones to pick if you have ever had elbow trouble.
Which Kuikma racket should a beginner buy?
A round or teardrop model with a soft core: the Comfort, a PR500 or PR560, or a PR React if you want a little more feel. If you already play once a week and expect to keep going, the PR990 Precision Soft or the PR Control Carbon is a racket you will not outgrow in the first year.
KEEP LOOKING
Other tools
worth using
PADEL AI PARTNER PROGRAMME
Do you coach, run a club, or post about padel?
Share your link and earn 20% of every player who joins through it, for a full year of their renewals. Free to join, no follower minimum.
Find your Kuikma
in seven questions
The racket finder reads your match analysis, then ranks every Kuikma against how you actually play.